The Star Born
by Ellesig
Summary: This random little AU fic has a complicated plot, but in then end has relevant ties to the Harry Potter world. Read on for action, adventure, magic as it was in the past, and how it will effect the future...
1. Default Chapter

Prologue  
  
The boy was playing make believe. He was pretending to be the greatest wizard he had ever known. He was pretending to be his father.  
  
"Come, Kildrop we must go to face our enemies." He pushed himself along on a toy horse across his playroom floor.  
  
Twenty stuffed animals, lined against the wall, stared back at the boy. He imagined them to be fierce beasts. He imagined himself to be tall and brave.  
  
"I am the Great Wizard Irvine!" pronounced the child. "And I will vanquish you all! Wingardium Leviosa!"  
  
The boy said his spell with a great flourish of his arms. He had heard his father say this spell. He said the words just the way his father would have.  
  
Much to his surprise, every single stuffed bear and dragon rose into the air well above his head. He squealed in surprise. The toys fell instantly.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
The boy ran from the room to find his father. The house was very large, and by time he neared his fathers study, the little boy was out of breath. He pushed open the large oak doors.  
  
The father jerked around in surprise to see his son.  
  
"Daddy! Look what I can do! Wingardium Leviosa!" the boy shouted and pointed at a nearby vase.  
  
The vase was heavy. It floated only a short distance from its stand.  
  
With a quick wave of the hand, the boys' father broke the spell and the vase crashed to the floor.  
  
"Von! What have I told you about interrupting? Go back to your room this."  
  
"Irvine."  
  
The boy had not seen the stranger sitting in the corner.  
  
"Is this your son?" continued the strange man as he rose from his chair. He walked to where the boy stood.  
  
The boy thought the man smelled like a dug up garden. Like old dirt and worms. His hair was white like grandmas'. His skin was smooth like Mothers'. The man smiled. "How old are you, child?" he asked, looking down at the boy.  
  
The man caressed the boys' cheek, and his hands were cold. The boy looked to his father, uncertain.  
  
"I'm six." the boy answered.  
  
"Six?" the stranger said. "Only six? And able to perform a spell at will?"  
  
The man continued to stroke the boys' cheek, and turned to look at the boys' father. The man smiled.  
  
"Well, little one," he continued, returning his eyes to the boy. "You will one day be a very, very powerful wizard indeed."  
  
The man dragged a sharp nail across the boys' cheek. There was a thin line of blood.  
  
The boy began to cry.  
  
The father snatched his son by the arm and led him forcefully out the door, and the boy cried harder. His father has never been so rough with him. "Have your mother clean that." the father said, and he slammed the door.  
  
The boy cried all the way back to his room. He rubbed his eyes red.  
  
Tomorrow, he will forget the spell. 


	2. The Year Begins

Chapter 1: The Year Begins.  
  
Von pushed a shiny copper piece into the meaty palm of the carriage driver. The man, who looked pinched to begin with, seemed to shrivel into himself a little more as he scowled at the measly tip. But considering the unnecessarily bumpy ride and the shoddy service, Von was not inclined to be guilt tripped into a larger tip. The driver seemed to sense this and gave the boy one last dirty look before hopping unto his carriage (though it was more like an overlarge cart) and speeding away. Von sighed and reached for his single piece of luggage, a small green thing that bulged at the sides. He had just barely managed to get it closed, and was now worried about it possibly bursting at the seams. The carriage had dropped him off at the edge of a path and up ahead was a gate; silver, and all together too delicate looking as far as gates went. A Large painted sign hung from the bars.  
  
AVE`LUNSAR  
  
"In the moonstar reflection, see yourself as you truly  
are."  
  
At the sight of all this, instant nostalgia and a sense of welcome filled Von, washing away his grumpiness, as well as the foreboding feelings he was having about the upcoming year.  
This place was happiness, his home away from hell and a senile uncle who had him on lock and key.  
And it'll be great this year too, even without Tom.  
  
Children his age, some younger, a few older, where arriving at the gates by every means imaginable. The arrival grounds of the school was thick with people; many poured from the pristine white Lunsar train, some came in carriages, both of the wheeled and the winged sort, and still more were appearing suddenly in thick clouds of red smoke.  
But the most spectacular arrival was just pulling in above; a large carriage that was as white as the aforementioned train, pulled by eight white pegasi with flowing manes and silver hooves that pawed the air.  
This spectacular thing carried the newest students to be accepted to the Lunsar School of magic.  
The school made sure that all the first years got to campus in a timely, safe, if not spectacular fashion. After your first year you were basically on your own, even if it meant bewitching your bicycle to fly a few hundred miles or so.  
Von cut a path through the madness; he just wanted to get to his room and take a long nap before the opening dinner at sunset.  
Ahead was the school itself, a great white Victorian mansion with a brick porch that wound around nearly the entire girth of the school. The surrounding grounds were like an overgrown garden, with little cultivated ponds, fountains and strategically planted trees here and there. The only clear direct path to the school was the one he was on now and at the moment clear wasn't the word he'd use to describe it.  
It was a gorgeous summer day, but with his current mood and lack of sleep Von was not interested in admiring anything, no matter how pretty.  
"Von!"  
It was Megara, waving at him from a short distance away. She came running towards him, her tightly curled dark hair flying. Her full lips were split into a wide grin, and she had her arms flung out to the sides in a very silly fashion.  
Von dropped his suitcase and scooped her up for a hug as she flew into his arms. She was light, and several inches shorter than him; he lifted her easily off the ground.  
"Hi-Hi! Im sorry I didn't write as much this summer, had a bit of a problem with the mail! How are you?"  
Megara gazed up at him with warm fondness. She was one of the two people he considered his best friends at this school. With her smooth dark skin and large, lovely honey brown eyes, she was incredibly striking, and all the boys were crazy for her. The only problem was that the very beautiful Megara also had a very beautiful girlfriend, and the fact that two of the prettiest girls at the school were dating each other drove most of the male population here mad.  
"It's ok, Meg. I was so busy slaving this summer that I probably wouldn't have found time to write back."  
"Your uncle?"  
"Yeah." His cheerful mood ebbed just a bit. "But it was an ok summer really."  
Megara frowned but did not press the subject. He looked down at her.  
"So what's with the pants?" He asked. She was wearing what appeared to be the standard male student uniform, only with a slightly female twist. She tugged at her white and silver striped tie absently.  
"Oh, just wanted to try something new. Listen, I can see that you're tired." She said, ruffling his hair playfully. "I'll let you go for now, but we'll catch up later after the ceremony. Oh! There's been a change of plans!"  
"What?"  
She winked at him and turned to walk away. "You'll see!" She called over her shoulders, walking quickly towards a few people she knew.  
Shrugging, Von continued on towards the house. Inside was a lot less congested.  
The Lunsar mansion was just as big inside as it appeared to be from the outside. Right now he was standing in the foyer, which was like a small family house itself. To the left and to the right, were pairs of winding stairs. Von automatically turned to the left. After a several fights and a few hallway turns, he was in the Draconus wing. The color scheme here was mainly a scarlet gold, silver, and various types of red. The thick maroon carpet matched the window drapes. Pictures of every species of dragon imaginable lined the long hallway walls, as well as the constellations and stars associated with the house. These were the most important.  
The first two doors of the hallway (one to his left and the other to his right) were marked first~fourth year boys, first~fourth year girls. These were the suites that the younger girls and boys shared: They consisted of a common room and about ten adjoining bedrooms. As Von remembered, the inside of these suites were really pretty big, because they housed about forty young students.  
The fifth, sixth, seventh and eight years all got their own rooms. The space was a lot smaller, but the privacy, as most would agree, was priceless.  
And placed at strategic positions throughout the wing, were two Draconus prefects, Katie Dower and Winston Hill.  
There were three other wings like this throughout the mansion with the exact same setup, the only differences being the color scheme; Purples and silver for Lupus, Blues and silver for Centaurus, Whites and silver for Equus.  
Von walked the length of the hall with his eyes half closed. He finally reached his room door.  
"Finally, a bed!" He said as he flung open the door, throwing his suitcase into the nearest corner. He opened a window to air the place out, then stood, hands on hips, surveying what her considered to be his personal domain.  
This small square room, with its arched window canopied bed and large oak wardrobe, was all his. Near the bed there was a locked door, a closet, where he kept all the school supplies he didn't dare take home for the summer. Pictures and poster's covered the wall space...and on his dresser there were a dozen 'no-wilt' roses that Megara had given him some years ago.  
"Hmm, nice to be home." Wasting no time, he removed the shirt he was wearing, and stuck his finger through the ratty hole under the armpit. "Suppose I should do a little shopping."  
But that would mean using his uncle's money. And even though the man had loads of it, Von still vowed not to be dependent on it or him.  
He threw the shirt unto the floor and flopped unto his bed.  
And before he could even think longer on his uncle or his need for clothes, Von fell instantly to sleep.  
  
"You must leave here." His father stood before him, tall, cold, dispassionate, features set in perfect blankness.  
"What? I don't understand." Von was still wearing a festive cone hat on his head. A moment ago he had been eating cake and laughing with friends, when his father called him from the main dinning hall.  
"After today, after this party is over, you will be leaving to live with your uncle."  
"But father, why.."  
  
Von bolted upright in bed. He was breathing hard and his hair hung limp and sweaty. Outside, the sun was sinking below the horizon.  
Damn. That was some nap. And that dream...I haven't had it for years...why now.  
  
His body felt limp, as if he had just run several miles, and a throbbing headache was forming.  
"Great way to start the year. Lumus." A spherical light appeared and floated through the air, adding a soft glow to the room. Von stripped off the rest of his clothing and opted to skip the shower. Who did he have to smell nice for anyway? He quickly pulled on his best pair of black pants and whitest shirt. A Gray vest trimmed with gold followed that. Socks, shoes, and walla.he was ready.  
Well, his full length mirror seemed to disagree with that. The boy that stared back at him was extremely untidy, with too long hair falling into his eyes, shirt un-tucked, vest askew..  
"Whatever." Von mumbled, Tucking in his shirt in and doing his best to straighten his clothing. He threw his gold and silver striped tie around his neck; he was going to be late for both the ceremony and the feast.  
"So are you coming or not?"  
Von spun on his heels to face the voice. He couldn't believe it.  
"Tom!"  
Von and Tom created quite a commotion in the hallway, as they hugged and punched and berated each other with questions. One boy opened his door and gave them a dirty look.  
"What, wait so how are you here? The transfer."  
"My parents changed their minds.said they didn't want to uproot the family.something like that.whatever their reasons, I could really care less..as long as I'm here, back at Lunsar, Woo!"  
They both laughed at the luck of it all.  
"Well I'm glad you're back, and we are about to be late for the ceremony."  
"Im ready, I came to get you."  
As usual, Tom was impeccably dressed and annoyingly handsome. His strawberry blond hair, cut to a decent length, looked as if it had never known a bad hair day. Everything was in place, and he had even remembered his dark jacket, with the golden Draconus house sigil stitched into the left breast pocket.  
"Ok pretty boy, give me a minute, please." Von ran back into his room and grabbed his jacket, and with a flick of his had extinguished the light.  
As they ran through hallways and down stairs, they didn't see any other students. "Great, we must be really very late."  
They arrived at the doors of the main dinning hall a little disheveled and very out of breath.  
"Nope, just made it," Tom said with his usual confidence.  
They had. The first years had yet to arrive and everyone must have just taken their seats.  
The Grande Hall was a sea of color and light. White tablecloth's covered the long tables which had been set with crystal glasses, china plates, silver dinnerware and elegant white candles. Above, two crystal chandeliers provide the main source of light and gave a beautiful sparkle. The only bits of color in the room were on the student uniforms. House Equus in their silver and white simply blended into the starry ethereal atmosphere.  
As Von and Tom made their way to the Draconus table, Megara waved, winked and blew kissed at them from her seat.  
Tom's eyes lingered on Meg. "Are her and Silvia really an item?"  
"I'm afraid so, my friend," Von replied, amused by the exaggerated, agonized look that crossed Tom's face.  
They sat just in time. Up ahead Headmaster Engleton was standing at the teachers table, which was slightly elevated above the rest of the hall. He tapped his fork on his glass. The sound, amplified by magic, carried through the air and was instantly followed by silence.  
"Equus, Draconus, Lupus and Centaurus." Engleton paused for a moment, allowing his grave brown eyes to travel across the assembly. "May I present to you, your newest classmates."  
Right on cue, the doors of the Grande Hall swung open and Professor Willow stalked in, followed by a group of about forty first years who hurried after her like frightened ducklings.  
Von smiled. He remembered his first year and the formal presentation, how intimidated he had been by the grandeur of Ave'Lunsar and afraid that he would simply just not live up to standards.  
Willow directed the first years to stand before the dais, and then swept off to her own seat next to the standing Engleton.  
The headmaster was an intimidating man, all broad shoulders and tall stature. His hair was still a rich brown, except for at the temples; there it was beginning to grey.  
But still he had a warm smile for the students, who became visibly relaxed.  
"Welcome students, to Ave'Lunsar, school of witchcraft, wizardry and all things supernatural. Now, I'm sure you're all very hungry, and maybe even a little tired, so we will proceed directly to the sorting." Engleton pointed his arm at the area directly in front of the students. "Constulatus Apparate".  
The first years, already a bit wide-eyed, became even more so as a dark mist began to form in front of them. It thickened, swooping up into a column, spreading and widening and becoming three dimensional. Tiny flickers of light began to appear in the mist.  
Soon, it was as if a patch of the starry night sky had been cut out and relocated in the Grande Hall. The mist, known better as the Constulatus, began to rotate slowly.  
Then came a strangely alien voice; it was male and female, young and old, all at once.  
  
Equus, the star born  
True of heart and spirit  
  
Lupus, moonchild  
Loyal dark strength  
  
Centaurus, bound to earth  
Thirst for knowledge and unknowns  
  
Draconus, sun child  
Courage without limits  
  
Ancient secrets kept  
by those who once were,  
and who are no more  
Now buried in the riddle of stars  
In the moonlight reflection  
See yourself as you truly are.  
  
Richard Colbine.  
Feeling extremely nervous and unlucky, the first boy stepped up to the Constulatus.  
Closer.come closer.step inside.  
As the first year entered the misty dark sphere, the stars of the Constulatus instantly began to swirl and rotate. Several of these stars arranged themselves clearly for all to see.  
Lupus.  
House Lupus clapped and cheered for Richard, who looked relieved as he made his was over to their table. A Lupus prefect handed him a purple and silver striped tie, several house badges and a pin depicting a snarling black wolf with silver eyes.  
A smallish girl with long curly blond hair had stepped into the Constulatus.  
Centaurus.  
As the sorting continued, Von, Tom and a fellow Draconus named Calvin began to place wagers on certain first years and their designated house.  
"Now, she looks every bit the Equus," Said Calvin of a pretty raven haired girl.  
The Constulatus stars formed a unicorn.  
Equus.  
"See! What did I tell you?"  
Both Von and Tom gave up when it became clear that Calvin's clairvoyant gift was getting the better of them.  
"Finally," Tom said as the last first year was placed in Lupus. "I'm damned near starved,"  
Engleton stood and Tom groaned.  
He gave his usual speech about what it meant to be a house member, unity, brotherhood..and then went into a long bit about the school and its rules.  
"Your prefects will give you more detailed information later tonight, at your first house meeting, which for this month will only include the first years."  
Von's stomach was starting to make funny noises.  
".and now I'm sure we can all agree that some dinner would be nice."  
Everyone cheered heartily at that.  
Von had is fork in hand even before the platter of roasted chicken appeared on the table before him.  
For awhile all he could think about was the chicken and mashed potatoes on his plate and the cherry pie he'd be eating in a few.  
Calvin was going on about his summer, which every year involved at least one beautiful girl and about ten different winged animals.  
"Really, Calvin, you ought to stop exaggerating so much," said Claire, who never needed an excuse to frown upon anyone or anything.  
Fifteen minutes into dinner, Megara came scurrying over to the Draconus table. She knelt between Tom and Von.  
"I have some interesting news."  
"Good lord, Meg, one day back and you've already managed to dig up some 'news'." said Tom.  
Megara shot daggers at him with her eyes but continued anyway. "Three, three students who remained in residence this summer disappeared..  
"Yeah, they probably went home.."  
"Tom! Are you going to let me speak or not?"  
"Sorry, sorry."  
"As I was saying..they vanished completely with out a trace. Connie Patterson knew one of the girls. Isn't that weird? No one just ups and disappears like that."  
"True, but you never know.it might not be what it seems. Can't just jump to."  
"Well, I was only pointing it out," Megara said, annoyed at the reactions of both boys. "Well I guess I have nothing left to say to you two.I'll just let you find everything out on your own.oh, and by the way, Von," Megara turned to face him. Her eyes looked concerned. "I thought you should know, that Cecilia is seeing some Lupus boy. He's not very."  
But Von had ceased to listen. The food lost its flavor and turned to dry cardboard in his mouth.  
Instinctively, his eyes traveled to the Lupus table.  
Cecilia, as if sensing his attention, happened to turn his way at that moment. Her cold green eyes met his and a small cruel smile curved the corners of her thin red lips. She lifted her glass and made him a mock toast.  
Von looked away quickly. His insides felt like lead. His palms were sweaty and his heart was about to hammer itself into a million broken pieces.  
"Von," Meg gently laid a hand on his arm. "You'll be ok..she's nothing."  
"No, I'm fine. Really Megara."  
But that was a lie and they all knew it.  
There was brief moment of silence as both Megara and Tom allowed him to collect himself.  
"Tom."  
"Yeah, Von?"  
"Still got that spell that turns water to wine?"  
Tomas smiled brilliantly. "You know I do."  
"Von, alcohol is not the answer." Megara said, trying to interject.  
"Vinare."  
Too late. He had said the words and now three crystal glasses were filled with a strong red wine. Von reached for his and finished it in one gulp.  
"Come, Megara..this is good stuff," Coaxed Tom.  
Megara stood, tossed her hair and stalked away from the table. Von finished her glass. By the time dinner was over, both Tom and Von were well beyond tipsy. The students had begun to socialize, walking from house table to house table, greeting old friends and sharing summer tales. Tomas had cornered an older seventh year Centaurus, and was flirting outrageously. The girl looked completely bored, her arms crossed, she managed a weak smile now and then.  
Von was sitting by himself, sipping the last glass of wine Tom had allowed him.  
He was watching Cecilia. She floated about the room on the arm of some sandy haired lupus, who had a bland look about him.  
She was tall, with jet black hair and a pair of wickedly bright green eyes. Her fair skin was slightly freckled. He couldn't see the freckles, not now, but he remembered them. Everyone. The boy said something and Cecilia laughed aloud, tossing her head so that the light reflected from her shiny dark hair.  
Von's hand clenched tightly about the delicate glass, and he didn't notice Megara as she came over to sit by him.  
"I know, it's hard." She said, taking the half empty glass from his hands. "But you really have to get her out of your system, Von. That girls a viper; she's no good."  
He allowed Megara to run her fingers through his hair. It felt good, sending tingles down his spine, and he closed his eyes and tried to let the pain wash away.  
"I know, Meg. But.god.I hate her, I do, and then I remember."  
"Don't worry. This too shall pass."  
His head was spinning. "I think I drank way too much.Im gonna head upstairs and sleep this off." "Definitely. Do you want me to walk up with you?" Von laughed. "I think you should go rescue your girlfriend from our good friend the Tom-cat." Megara spun in her chair. Tom had given up on the Centaurus, and was now grinning at Silvia, who sat listening to him go on and on about something. She had a wide, forced smile on her face.  
"Ugh! That fink."  
Megara stormed over to where they stood, her hands balled into fists at her side.  
  
Von left the Grande Hall, taking slow careful steps. The hallways and stairwells were completely deserted, and would be until dinner was over. He prayed he didn't slip on a set of steps and hit his head; by the time anyone found him, it would be too late.  
As he neared the Draconus wing, a hand reached from a shadowed corner and grabbed him by the arm. In his intoxicated state he was easily over powered, and the person flung him against a wall.  
"Cecilia," Von said, breathless.  
Her cat like green eyes crinkled with a smile.  
"Nice to see you again, Von." She moved closer, pressing her body against his. Her long nails dug into his arm, and her breath came like a caress against his throat.  
"What do you want." He tried to make his voice hard, but his head was still spinning and he was beginning to feel nauseous.  
"Oh.just to see how my favorite dragon has been." She kissed him, pressing her lips hard against his, forcing his mouth open.  
Von found himself responding to the kiss. The alcohol and the warmth of her were making him heady.  
But.  
No. you can't do this. She.  
A small part of him that was still rational gained control for a brief moment.  
It was enough.  
Von shoved Cecilia hard, causing her collide with the opposite wall. She giggled, catching herself before she could fall.  
"Ooo, I always like it when you're rough."  
'Listen, Cecilia." He caught and pinned her by the shoulders. "I don't know what game your playing at, but don't make me apart of it." His face was inches from hers, his voice low and dangerous. "I was younger then, in many ways. I let you manipulate me. But if you even think."  
He backed away from her and they glared at one another in silence.  
"Just stay away, Cecilia. I'm not the sweet malleable lump of clay you used to know. Don't give me a reason to wipe that nasty smirk from your face.  
Turning quickly, and trying not to stumble, Von stalked away before he could hear or see her reaction.  
He needed his bed.  
And a shower. A long, cold shower. 


	3. The Road to Windy Hill

Chapter 2: The Road to Windy Hill  
  
"Here, drink this."  
  
Tom sniffed the contents of the offered glass suspiciously.  
  
"Drink it. You're lucky I managed to find the ingredients. I had to hunt down ten slugs in the North Garden." Megara, though she had been kind enough to make the anti-nauseum draught, still had no sympathy for the hung over state of the boys.  
  
Von drank his slowly, sip by slimy sip, until the glass was empty. Now the hard part; keeping it down.  
  
"Thanks Meg," he said "Don't know how we would have made it into town otherwise."  
  
His stomach, which a moment ago had been motion sickness central, was beginning to calm. The draught worked fast.  
  
"Yeah thanks," added Tom. He tried to smile but it was more like a grimace. "but next time a little flavoring would be nice."  
  
Megara scowled.  
  
".not that slug isn't a lovely flavor." he continued hurriedly.  
  
"You two should have thought ahead.books and supplies don't buy themselves you know. And now that we've missed the carriage, we'll have to borrow a few horses from the stables."  
  
Megara, who was once again dressed in slacks, stood with her hands on her hips as she lectured. Von always found it interesting that he (and most everyone else) managed to take this slip of a girl seriously.  
  
The kitchens and common dinning area were empty, but for a few Helping Hands. A pair of these floated over now, scooping away the empty glasses. Helping Hand were.well.exactly that, a multitude of white gloved hands that did all the housework and cooking at the mansion. No one (no student, that is) knew how they worked, but Von suspected it had something to do with the be-spelling of minor spirits.  
  
The big joke around Lunsar, or the one most attempted, was getting the hands to do other things than their assigned work. Let's just say that all attempts so far had been unsuccessful.  
  
It was a Saturday afternoon, and classes would begin Monday. Earlier in the morning, almost the entire student body had headed into Windy Hill to purchase school supplies.  
  
Everyone except probably these three and a few other laze-abouts.  
  
"Come on, come on let's go. I need a new dress robe and they'll be out of the best ones by time we get there."  
  
Egged on by Megara, Von and Tomas wondered out into the day like night creatures, blinded and squinting.  
  
"Ack. It's bright." complained Tom.  
  
"Yes. It's called the sun. Now let's go." Megara replied.  
  
The stables were a five minute walk from the school. When they arrived the school's riding instructor, Arignor, was out with several reigned horses.  
  
"Hullo there," he called in greeting.  
  
"And a good morning to you, Arignor." Megara said in her sweetest voice.  
  
"Fine morning it is. Shouldn't you three be at Windy Hill?"  
  
"Ah yes, well see.there's the problem. We.overslept a bit and missed the carriage."  
  
"Better start walking then," Arignor said, taking the reins of two of the horses.  
  
"Ahh.yeah.but what would be even better, is if we could borrow a few of the horses to ride." Megara said, twisting her hands behind her.  
  
Arignor eyed them. "Not supposed to be just lending horses out like that. Gotta have permission, or be in some kind of class."  
  
Von and Tom, wisely, remained silent in the background as Megara did the talking.  
  
"Oh, come now Arignor. We were some of your best students in riding lessons. And we'd never allow anything to happen to the horses. Just a quick, harmless jaunt to town."  
  
"Well," Arignor said, stroking the neck of the nearest horse. "I was planning on taking this bunch out for a bit of exercise anyway. And I don't see how else you'd be getting your books. Maybe a ride to town wouldn't be so bad."  
  
A few minutes later, they were on their way to Windy Hill, on the backs of three frisky mares.  
  
"I'm almost glad we missed the carriage," said Tom, pulling on the reins of his bay. "this is much better."  
  
"Yeah, and this beautiful weather helps." Megara added.  
  
With the horses, they were forced to take the forest road. A path had been cut through the thick, tropical vegetation, and the taller trees screened the sun creating a comfortable, dappled shade. It was a pleasant ride, and they took their time enjoying the weather and each other's company.  
  
"So, since we didn't get to do much talking last night, how was everyone's summer?" asked Tom.  
  
"I visited Silvia at one of the Muggle places" Megara said brightly. "Europe."  
  
"U-what?" Tom asked.  
  
"Europe, Tom, Europe.you know that little continent next door? Really, we're surrounded by four huge landmasses and you can't even take the time to remember their names."  
  
Tom yawned. "Muggle geography; very boring and complicated. Anyway, you were saying?"  
  
Von, who knew only the barest amount of Senryan geography and practically nothing about Muggle geography, tried to remember which one was Europe.  
  
"Well, the thing about Muggle places is that when you're there for awhile, you sort of forget about magic. I mean, things aren't that terribly inconvenient, and then you turn around and find that you've gone an entire month without even doing one spell."  
  
He listened with interest as Megara described Europe, in particular a place called Rome, where Silvia was from.  
  
Von had never been outside of Senrya, never sailed beyond the tiny Sargasso Sea. All his life he had lived here, on this large island which was one of the last truly and completely magical places left on the earth. There were many wizards who lived among the Muggles, like Silvia and her parents.  
  
".and I spent a great summer with Silv'." Megara concluded.  
  
"So, are you two in love," Tom asked in a voice that was supposed to be teasing, But to Von it sounded a little bitter."  
  
"Ah, well not in love.but well..you know." Megara sounded uncertain, which for her, was saying a lot.  
  
Tomas's mood brightened just a little. He turned to Von. "Err.Von.so.how's your uncle?"  
  
"Insane. And getting more so with each passing day."  
  
There was a time when Uncle William wasn't crazy. There was a time when he was simply a grumpy old wizard who lived his life like a military handbook. But after the incident with the dementor, Vons uncle had become.unstable. And paranoid.  
  
"He fired all the servants, doesn't trust anyone. Not even me." Von said "And of course any type of magic was absolutely forbidden around the house; anything I needed to do I had to do in secret. He sits, sleeps, and eats in his study, spends all his time there mumbling about plots and curses, while his house falls down around him. It was awful. I swear I spent most of my time on the beach."  
  
"Has it gotten that bad?" Tom asked in surprise. "You should have come stayed with me!"  
  
"I'm really considering it for next summer," said Von. "but I don't want to leave the old man alone."  
  
"There are places for people like that." Megara said, as if offering the obvious solution.  
  
"Gee, thanks Meg." Von said sarcastically.  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
Von told them about his encounter with Cecilia in the hallway.  
  
"Personally," said Tom "I would have fucked her first and then told her to get the hell out of my face."  
  
Megara, eyes going wide with shock, gave Tom a vicious kick to the leg. "How can you say something like that?!" she screeched, managing to look disgusted and surprised all at once.  
  
But Von laughed hard, doubling over his horse and clutching his stomach. The funniest part was the fact that Tom was absolutely serious.  
  
Megara swung another kick Tom's way, which his horse sidestepped nimbly. Laughing, Tom led his mount away, placing Von between himself and Megara.  
  
Megara looked as if she were ready to give Von a good kick.  
  
Von regained enough composure to speak. "Not with Cecilia Tom," he said with a half smile. "You don't play games with that girl; she plays games with you."  
  
Megara muttered something, but kept her peace and smoothly changed the topic.  
  
Soon, they could see the town ahead.  
  
Dismounting, they lead their horses to an area near the edge of the forest.  
  
"There. They should be fine here. Let's just leave a little protection charm just in case." Megara said as they secured the horses.  
  
Tom placed several spells on his animal, until the poor beast could barely even bend its neck to graze.  
  
"Tom."  
  
"Ok, fine Megara," he said, removing a few. "But the last thing I need is for Arignor to hang me from a tree because I got one of his precious horses stolen."  
  
Windy Hill was packed with Lunsar students.  
  
"Hey, there's Silvia," Megara said excitedly. "Silv! Over here!"  
  
Tomas was beginning to turn a peculiar shade of red under his tanned skin.  
  
Silvia strolled up to them, with quite a number of parcels in hand. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming," she said, kissing Megara lightly on the cheek. She turned to Tom. "Hey you.I trust your feeling a little more like yourself this morning?"  
  
Despite the flaming face, Tom managed his joker's grin. "Quite, thank you."  
  
Silvia wrinkled her nose. Deep down, Von suspected she didn't care for Tom all that much. And Von didn't blame her; he'd be a little miffed himself if some blonde playboy had a thing for his girlfriend.  
  
"Well, Meg, how about a little lunch then? I'm starving."  
  
Megara and Silvia hurried off in search of Packerman's Peppermill, a favorite café amongst the students.  
  
"Good," Tom said as he and Von set out into the town. "The last thing I want to do is shop with two girls."  
  
They dodged a group of Centaurus first years who were trying to keep up with their prefect. The newest students were not allowed into town by themselves; they traveled to buy their supplies with a prefect, who basically herded them around like sheep and showed them the ropes. After the first year you were pretty much on your own, but the older students instinctively kept an eye out for their younger fellows.  
  
"Von, I think our first stop should be getting you some new clothes," Tom said good-naturedly.  
  
Von allowed himself to be lead into Rags and Robes.  
  
There they spent too long, as far as Von was concerned, and the salesman kept flirting with him, trying to sell Von every piece of grey clothing because 'it matches your eyes'.  
  
The next stop would be for books, but as they were walking past Carter's Creatures both boys did a double take and stopped to stare, noses pressed against the glass, at the display window.  
  
"Von."  
  
"Tom."  
  
Seven dragonlets were sleeping soundly in a cage, piled one atop the other. Their brightly colored scales reflected in the afternoon sun. They were beautiful.  
  
Books forgotten, Von and Tom practically tripped over each other to get into the store.  
  
"Dragonlets, Von."  
  
"Shopkeeper," Von gestured to the store owner, but he couldn't peel his eyes away from the cage. The man left the counter and walked over to them with a knowing smile.  
  
"Beautiful, ain't they? Just got 'em in this morning. Haven't had dragonlets in this store fer years.rare you know."  
  
"How come you haven't sold these all yet?" Tom asked in disbelief.  
  
"Take a look at the price tag," the man said.  
  
They did, and even Von's eyes widened in surprise  
  
"Yep," the shopkeeper continued. "not many can afford that."  
  
Tom heaved a tragic sigh, and for a minute they both just stood there, staring.  
  
Von thought of his money. Most of it waited in a bank until he turned eighteen, a little token from his parents, maybe as a way of apology for abandoning him. Then there was his uncle's contribution, a cellar full that was some sort of inheritance because his uncle had no other children to dump it on when he died. Then, there was a smaller amount back in his room at Lunsar, from random relatives who sent him gifts and money on his birthdays and for holidays.  
  
He had money everywhere, and he hated it, hated using it.  
  
Because a shit load of gold is all I'm worth to them.  
  
But he was still sixteen, only four years from childhood, and that little boy buried deep inside of him screamed "I want one!"  
  
The cellar room full of gold formed clearly in his mind.  
  
"Apparate."  
  
Two heavy bags appeared in his hands. Tom gaped.  
  
"Here," Von said, walking over to the shopkeeper and handing him the bags. "We'll take two, as well as a few leashes."  
  
"Von, are you mad?" Tom asked, watching the exchange. "That's a hell of a lot of money."  
  
Von's laugh was tinged with bitterness and sarcasm. "Oh, right.I forgot that this money actually means something to me."  
  
The shopkeeper, who hadn't even bothered to count the money, hurried over to the cages.  
  
"Besides," Von continued softly, as the man placed two sleeping, leashed dragonlets into each of his hands. He handed Tom one of the winged beasts, and his friends blue eyes lit with amazement. "some things are much better shared."  
  
They barely remembered to do the rest of their shopping that afternoon. A good hour was spent cooing at and playing with the dragonlets.  
  
Tom had gotten a ruby scaled female, who woke up soon after they left the shop. She stretched her leathery wings, and peered up at Tom with great golden eyes from the end of her leash. Deciding she liked what she saw, she fluttered up to perch on his left shoulder.  
  
Tom laughed. "Pleased to meet you too, Garnet."  
  
Von's dragonlet had continued to snooze, but managed little sighs of contentment as his new owner stroked him. "Jack.I think I'll call you Jack. You look like a Jack."  
  
The little male dragonlet was colored like the sea, all greens and blues.  
  
"Von, this is by far, the best gift I have ever gotten." Tom said, gazing adoringly at Garnet. "You'll never have to get me another birthday or Christmas gift for at least the next five years."  
  
The chatted excitedly about their new pets for awhile longer, before finally deciding to finish up their shopping. Von tucked Jack into his breast pocket, where the tiny dragon curled up contently.  
  
Megara was not so impressed with the dragonlets.  
  
"Hmmph," She sniffed "just a pair of over grown lizards. They'll be nothing but trouble, and a fire hazard."  
  
Von and Tom ignored her; nothing could spoil their boyish glee.  
  
The sun was low in the sky when they left the town. The large carriage filled with students had left some time ago, and Windy Hill was once again calm, with the residents heading home after a long work day.  
  
"Let's do something fun tonight, fellas." Megara was saying as they secured their packages unto the horses. "Only a day and a half left of freedom."  
  
The boys agreed, and they began the long ride back to the mansion.  
  
Half way through the forest, as the sun was beginning to blaze a spectacular orange in the sky, Megara stopped her horse. It had taken Von and Tom awhile to notice that she had fallen back; they were engaged in a deep conversation concerning the proper way to care for a dragonlet.  
  
"Meg, what's the matter?" called Tom as both boys turned and approached her.  
  
Megara was very still, her brow wrinkled in deep concentration as her eyes attempted to see past the thick foliage of the forest.  
  
"Do you feel that?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" the woods were silent to Von's ears.  
  
Megara's eyes suddenly became saucer wide.  
  
"Ride!" she shouted, wheeling her horse about and taking off down the path at a mad gallop  
  
Tom opened his mouth to protest, but Von delivered a hard slap to the rump of his horse that sent Tom and the animal flying down the path. Von spurred his own horse into full gallop; he didn't know why he was running, and what from, but anything that had managed to inspire such a panicked flight in the ever curious Megara.  
  
Von pulled in next to Tom.  
  
"What the hell are we running from!?" Tom managed to shout, craning his neck about to see behind them. Garnet still clutched to his shoulder, flapping her wings and squawking bloody murder.  
  
Unable to help himself, Von turned to look as well, trusting his horse not to run into a tree.  
  
At first there was nothing.the path behind them was empty. Von and Tom slowed their horses.  
  
"There's nothing."  
  
But then, quite suddenly, there was.  
  
Snakehounds, slinking from amongst the trees. Five pairs of rose tinted eyes stared with naked hunger. They were the color of dirty moss, scaled like a snake but with the sleek elongated design of a greyhound. Low growls vibrated through the air, and pink saliva coated tongues lolled in anticipation.  
  
"Shit," breathed Tom, hands tightening on his reins.  
  
The horses, already frightened by the sudden flight, panicked completely at the appearance of the snakehounds. Tom was nearly tossed from his, but it was the dragonlet that fell instead, hitting the floor in a curled ball and rolling straight towards the pack of snakehounds.  
  
To Von's horror the nearest hound quickly scooped the dragonlet up into its fanged jaws.  
  
"As soon as we turn to run they'll be on us," Von said to Tom, pushing Jack deeper into his pockets. The hounds began to circle.  
  
"Then," replied Tom in a low voice, extending his arm. "we won't run. Ignite."  
  
One snakehound became a living torch, yelping in pain as its flesh slowly disintegrated, until nothing remained of it but a large steaming wet lump.  
  
Von was knocked from his horse as a hound charged him with a great flying leap. He grabbed the creature by its throat, twisting to avoid a massive clawed paw. He tightened his grip  
  
"Penetrate; my hands are my knives. Penetrate." Von muttered a willing spell through clenched teeth. He felt his fingers slip trough the thick skin of the snakehound and with a rough pull he severed the animals' throat.  
  
By the time he had managed to get from beneath the hound, Tom had killed another, and the remaining two circled warily, one limping with a broken leg.  
  
Tom's hair was damp with sweat. Setting two snakehounds ablaze was not an easy thing, and Von was sure he wouldn't be able to do it again.  
  
"Petrificus Totalus." Von said, gasping for breath and pointing. Both hounds froze, teeth bearing snarls still plastered on their faces. "That won't hold long. Let's go."  
  
Von flung himself unto his horse and they were off at a gallop. Not far ahead they found Meg.  
  
She was sitting in the middle of the path, head bent, her left arm cradled in her lap. Scattered around her were three snakehounds, who looked as if they had simply fell dead on the spot. Her horse lay to one side of the forest path, its throat open and bleeding.  
  
Tomas jumped from his horse and ran to her side.  
  
"Your arm. Are you all right?" he asked, pulling her to her feet.  
  
Megara had a nasty slash on her forearm. It wasn't deep, but snakehound fangs were poisonous, and the wound was not a healthy color. There was a tiny trickle of blood from her nose.  
  
"Head.my head.hurss." She responded with slurred words.  
  
"I think she's having a reaction headache," said Von, as he and Tom got her mounted. They unpacked her things from the dead horse. "she must have killed all these things by herself."  
  
He was cut short as a snakehound, one of the two they had left petrified, came careening down the path straight at them.  
  
Von readied the simplest spell he could think of that would take out the hound efficiently. But before he could use it, the beast exploded with a loud pop, splitting into several flying pieces mid-run. Von looked at Tom, who shrugged.  
  
A piece of the hound was still squirming.a peculiar piece that appeared to have.  
  
"Garnet!" Tom shouted, running towards the snakehound carcass. Unmindful of the gore, he scooped up the dragonlet. Garnet, looking completely unfazed, coughed up a little ball of fire. "I think that thing swallowed her whole.she must have been heating its blood all this time."  
  
"Let's go, Tom. We can't afford to stick around here."  
  
Tom tucked Garnet into his pocket and mounted his horse.  
  
They set out at a fast trot.  
  
"And, why exactly were you three not aboard the carriage?" asked Professor Levin, fixing Von and Tom with yet another suspicious stare.  
  
Von's head felt like a cracked egg. Anymore of these damned questions and he'd be next to join Meg at the school infirmary.  
  
"We were late. We borrowed horses. Does it matter?" Von didn't bother to hide his impatience. Tom, who was in far worse shape, sat slouched in his chair. Von had been answering all the questions. "We were almost killed by a pack of rabid hounds and I'm being reprimanded for breaking a school rule? What if I asked you, Professor Levin, why dangerous beasts like that were allowed to."  
  
"Mr. Castel, please," interrupted Headmaster Engleton. "of course, we had no idea about the presence of these snakehounds. From what you tell us it's really as if they materialized out of thin air.no sightings before, and from what our hunters reported, none after this attack. Not even the bodies. Now, we are sorry you had to go through this, and no one is accusing you of anything. We just need to get the facts."  
  
Von forced himself to calm down. "Yes, Headmaster. But really, that's all I can tell you."  
  
Engleton sighed and removed his glasses. "Well, I suppose that will be all then. Again, I'm deeply sorry for.all of this. Normally, your Houses would receive full honors but we'd rather keep this matter quiet; no need to panic the students."  
  
House honors was the last thing on his mind at the moment.  
  
They were dismissed and told to take as much rest as needed. Tom needed help climbing the stairs to the Draconus wing.  
  
"Ugh.powerful magic..much too quickly." he mumbled, clutching his head and taking a hold of Von's shoulders.  
  
"It was either that or be made dog food." Von replied, helping his friend to his room.  
  
Once he had gotten Tom settled Von made his way to his own room.  
  
Snakehounds aren't even native to Senrya, He thought absently.  
  
"Lumos."  
  
Closing the door, Von stripped himself of all clothing and stood in front of his full length mirror. He checked his body for any stray scratches, any nicks that he might have missed. Falling asleep with an untreated Snakehound bite was a guaranteed death sentence.  
  
Hell, we nearly died out there and they act like we're being a nuisance.  
  
He got dressed. The headache was still there, and his body felt beat-up, but Von was not tired.  
  
A warm breeze blew in from his open window. It carried the sound of many young voices joined in merriment. He, Tom and Megara were missing their House parties. Draconus, apparently, was having the party on the veranda just below, because Von could hear them clearly through the window.  
  
Von crawled through the window and sat himself down on the roof. Further in the distance, one of the garden gazebos was lit and filled with people. He saw a lot of blues so he assumed that to be the Centaurus party.  
  
Von had never felt so separated from his peers in all his life. Last year, he would have been out socializing or throwing his own impromptu party with Tom and friends. But this year.with his uncle, Cecilia, and not to mention nearly dying.he felt like he wanted to get away from it all. Away from school, away from trying. He could happily spend the rest of his life as a beach bum.  
  
"Of course with you Jack," he laughed as the dragonlet flew lazily out to join him on the roof. He picked the dragonlet up and placed it in his lap. Jack looked as though he wanted to crawl away but instead allowed his new wizard to stroke his wings.  
  
Von wished they were near the shoreline, near the sea and the sand and the palm trees.  
  
But the school was too far inland for that, so he contented himself with watching dark clouds sail across the night sky. 


End file.
